More than half of patients who have a sudden cardiac arrest ignore symptoms occurring up to a month prior to the usually fatal heart rhythm malfunction even though medical intervention potentially could save their lives, ...

The presence or absence of the CAP2 gene causes sudden cardiac death in mice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In particular, the absence of the gene interrupts ...

Overweight and obesity throughout adulthood, and especially elevated weight in early adulthood, were associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death in a 32-year study of more than 72,000 women published today in JACC: ...

Macrolides—a group of commonly used antibiotics for bacterial infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, and some sexually transmitted diseases—are associated with a small but statistically significant increased risk of sudden ...

Changes in sexual satisfaction and decreases in sexual activity are often reported by heart patients. Both patients and partners may have misconceptions about the perceived dangers of sexual activities and commonly restrict ...

When people with end-stage kidney disease start dialysis, a treatment that filters the blood to rid the body of harmful waste, extra salt and water, they are at high risk of sudden cardiac death. Researchers at the University ...

A gene associated with sudden cardiac death in the general population has been identified using implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) monitoring in research presented for the first time at ESC Congress today. The research ...

ESC Guidelines published today recommend DNA analysis as a fundamental component of post mortem assessment in young sudden death victims. Identification of a genetic cause helps to quickly diagnose and protect relatives.

(HealthDay)—Forty percent of patients with primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) experience improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), according to a study published in the Aug. ...

Sudden cardiac death

The term sudden cardiac death refers to natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms. Other forms of sudden death may be noncardiac in origin. Examples of this include respiratory arrest (such as due to airway obstruction, which may be seen in cases of choking or asphyxiation), toxicity or poisoning, anaphylaxis, or trauma.

It is important to make a distinction between this term and the related term cardiac arrest, which refers to cessation of cardiac pump function which may be reversible. The phrase sudden cardiac death is a public health concept incorporating the features of natural, rapid, and unexpected. It does not specifically refer to the mechanism or cause of death.